Slidell's JOY fellowship auction nets $9,000 for two local charities

Carol Wolfram / The Times-PicayuneRainbow Child Care Center Executive Director Nancy Wood accepted a $4,500 check generated during a charity auction held earlier this spring by the Jesus-Others-You fellowship. Pictured, from left, are Sissy Wehr, Pat Vickers, Alice Beck, Wood, Lucy Plouride, Myra Blackwell, Jean Fischer, Dot Marshall and Cathy Henderson.Guests at the Jesus-Others-You, or JOY, fellowship charity auction didn’t know it at the time, but the fantastic deals they were getting on hand-sewn quilts and crafts at the March “Make It, Bake It, Grow It” sale had a greater purpose. The money they were spending was destined to feed the needy of Slidell and give children from low-income local families their first, bona fide field trip experiences.

Carol Wolfram / The Times-PicayuneMount Olive Feeding Ministry representatives Marsha Robertson and Lydia Brookter accept a $4,500 donation from the JOY fellowship group. The money was raised at the group’s annual auction of beautiful, handmade quilts. Pictured, from left, are Ann Cappel, Eileen Haese, Marian Pezant, Robertson, Brookter, Brenda Borland, Carey Wenburry, Elva Ellermann and Kathy Jones.Money raised through JOY fellowship’s annual charity auctions has been benefiting charities for the past 30 years. On Tuesday, East St. Tammany Rainbow Child Care Center and Mount Olive Feeding Ministry became the project’s most recent recipients, with representatives from each of the entities accepting a check for $4,500.

The presentations, the highlight of a lavish potluck luncheon hosted by JOY volunteer Ann Cappel, were made by Elva Ellermann, one of the leaders of the group that meets year-round to ensure that each year’s sale is better than the previous one. “A lot of work goes into this project,” Ellermann said.

Lydia Brookter, coordinator of the Mount Olive Feeding Ministry, raised her hands in prayer when the amount of the donation was announced. “This is really going to be a blessing,” Brookter said.

Brookter explained that the Mount Olive Feeding Ministry, which provides a hot meal prepared by an average 40 volunteers for more than 300 people every Monday through Saturday, receives a great deal of support from the community. “And we get a lot of food donated, but it’s usually canned goods. This,” Brookter said, waving the $4,500 check in the air, “is going to buy a lot of meat.”

Equally elated at the presentation was Nancy Wood, executive director of the East St. Tammany Rainbow Child Care Center.

Rainbow will use $2,500 of the donation on its new summer enrichment program. “Most of our children have never had the chance to go to the zoo or to the Children’s Museum, things that most other kindergartners have done,” Wood said.

The remainder will go toward a new, $4,000 public address system Rainbow would like to have installed.

For details on providing further assistance to Rainbow Child Care Center, which provides child care at 121 Kingspoint Blvd. for working families in need, call 985.646.1603.

Mount Olive Feeding Ministry provides meals Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 2442 Second St., just across the street from the Mount Olive African Methodist Episcopal Church in Olde Towne Slidell. For more information on the program, including details on donating to or volunteering for the project, call 985.641.6026.

JOY fellowship volunteers meet regularly at Lamb of God Lutheran Church, 57210 Allen Road, Slidell, to add to their charity auction inventory. For updates or to support JOY’s ongoing community service efforts, contact Ellermann at 985.641-0684.

Carol Wolfram can be reached at 985.645.2857 or cwolfram@timespicayune.com.